Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
SOUTH African border authorities have arrested a 52-year-old Zimbabwean man found in possession of a consignment of illicit cigarettes worth R10,4 million, including levies and fines, which he was smuggling from Zimbabwe in a fuel tanker.
At the Zimbabwean border post, the tanker had been declared empty, allowing it to pass through the express lane. However, it was intercepted during a routine inspection on the South African side of the Beitbridge border post last Friday.
The matter is now under joint investigation by security officials from both Zimbabwe and South Africa, as authorities continue to collaborate in combating cross-border crime.
Spokesperson for the Hawks in Limpopo Province, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, confirmed that the suspect, Godknows Manganyi (52), has since appeared in the Musina Magistrates’ Court on charges of smuggling illicit cigarettes.
“According to the information, it is alleged that on 10 June 2025, a cargo analyst attached to the South African Revenue Service (Sars) was on duty at the Beitbridge Port of Entry. A freight-liner tanker entered the scanning area for a routine inspection.
“Upon analysing the scanner images, the analyst detected suspicious visuals inside the tanker. She alerted members of the South African Police Service and the Border Management Authority stationed at Beitbridge.
“A physical search was conducted, leading to the discovery of illicit cigarettes branded ‘Chelsea’ concealed inside the tanker. The search yielded 500 master boxes, seven cartons, and six loose boxes, with an estimated value exceeding R10,4 million,” said Warrant Officer Mmuroa.
He said that the suspect was immediately arrested following the discovery. Both the cigarettes and the tanker were seized, and the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, based in Musina, is now leading further investigations.
The smuggling of cigarettes from Zimbabwe into South Africa via illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River remains widespread. It is estimated that up to 30 percent of cigarettes sold in South Africa originate from Zimbabwe, including brands such as Pacific, Remington Gold, Mega, Dullahs, Branson and Servilles.
Typically, a box of cigarettes is purchased from Zimbabwean producers for around US$120 and sold to smuggling syndicates for between US$250 and US$300. Once across the border, the same box can fetch upwards of R15 000 on the South African market.
Those involved in transporting the goods illegally are reportedly paid between R100 and R300 per box, with most operations carried out under the cover of darkness.
South Africa’s tax watchdog, Tax Justice SA, has called on border authorities from both countries to intensify efforts to curb the smuggling of tobacco and related products.
The organisation’s founder, Mr Yusuf Abramjee, recently warned that criminal syndicates are tightening their grip on South Africa’s cigarette trade, and that only urgent, decisive action can prevent them from siphoning billions of rand in much-needed state revenue.
